SHEIN, the online fast-fashion retailer, has reported two instances of child labour within its supplier network in 2024, matching the number reported in 2023. This disclosure comes as the company has increased the number of audits conducted on its predominantly China-based third-party manufacturers.
The information was provided in a letter from SHEIN’s general counsel for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Yinan Zhu, to a British parliamentary committee. The letter, dated 7th February and published late Tuesday, was a response to inquiries from the committee regarding SHEIN’s supply chain practices, following allegations of worker abuses.
One of the 2024 cases involved an 11-year-old girl who assisted with tasks at a factory during her summer holiday. Her father was the general manager and her mother worked at the same location. Despite the circumstances, SHEIN classified the incident as child labour and immediately terminated its relationship with the supplier. The second case involved a 15-year-old. SHEIN also clarified the ages of the two children found working in 2023, stating they were 15 years and 11 months, and 15 years and 9 months.
In 2024, SHEIN conducted approximately 4,300 audits, covering about 317,000 workers, an increase from the 4,000 audits covering 285,000 workers in 2023.
Zhu reiterated SHEIN’s “strict zero tolerance approach to child labour” and committed to continued efforts to eliminate such cases from its supply chain, which includes suppliers in China, Brazil, and Turkey.
